by greenpawn34 on Oct 28 2021 15:03 | 9419 views | 3 edits | Last edit on Oct 28 2021 15:40
The best entry - see below where to post it, will be sent a prize!
Here is a late result. Sorry about the delay, blame global warming.
The World Rapid Chess Championship for Kids took place in November 1998
at Disneyland, Paris. It consisted of 9 rounds, each player with 25 minutes each.
Azerbaijan produced a sheet of 8 stamps to commemorate the event.
Alexandra Kosteniuk won the Girls Under 14 title with 8½ from 9 pts. Asuka
Nakamura the brother of Hikaru played in the boys under 14 scoring 6½ - 9.
This must be the perfect holiday. Play rapid chess and meet Mickey Mouse.
More about Asuka and Hikaru Nakamura, later meanwhile...
Quite a few medical breakthroughs have been discovered by accident.
Penicillin is one and there is also...er....em.... did I mention Penicillin?
Nobody seems to know if Alexander Galitzky (1863-1921) created his famous
mate in three which hides another problem by accident, or did he mean to do it.
I’d put money on Alexander doing it on purpose, he was an ingenious composer.
White to play and mate in three (Galitzky 1900)
Once you solved that one turn the board around and solve this mate in three.
Solution to both problems at the bottom.
The World Title match will soon upon us. I have placed £5.00 on Nepo.
(usually I sigh when I see player’s names summarised, Karpy and Kaspy
are two that have me frothing but ‘Nepo’ is understandable and forgivable.)
I have no doubt put the mockers on him and he is doomed. Since placing the bet the
odds have slipped even more in Carlsen’s favour. He is now 1/4 and Nepo is 11/4.
Every now and then I looked back at an old blog to see if anyone is paying attention.
In October 2010 I pointed out that four players resigned as Black in this position.
hennion in 2005, lbthree in 2006, Tukumnieks in 2007 and Marko Krale in 2007
We can now add, rememberme in 2012, devgul in 2013 and tallhook in 2015.
I’ll will now give the moves that lead us to the scene of the crime.
Eli Blankers - tallhook (and then me) RHP 2015
(After Black resigned I take over with a ‘flight of fancy; variation.)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Be7 {We have transposed into the Hungarian Defence.} 5. c3 dxc3 6. Qd5 Nh6 7. Bxh6 {And Black ha been resigning here. But...} 7... O-O {...this is playable and it can get tricky.} 8. Bc1 {Obvious but this gives Black chances. 8. Bxg7 or 8.Nc3 are better.} 8... Nb4 9. Qh5 {We are now following an idea I gave in 2010.} 9... Nc2+ 10. Kf1 {The reason you come this way is to avoid a future pawn to c2 check.} 10... Nxa1 {Back in 2010 I suggested h4 and Ng5 adding no more than 'Good Luck' playing it.} 11. h4 {This time we go further to see what goodies may lay hidden in this position.} 11... c2 {Let us see for how long we can leave that Knight hanging.} 12. Ng5 h6 13. Nxf7 {13...cxb1=Q 14.Nxh6+ and mate next move.} 13... Rxf7 14. Bxf7+ {14...Kh8 or 14..Kh7 then 15.Bxh6 cxb1=Q+ 16 Bc1 mate.} 14... Kf8 15. Bd5 {The Knight still cannot be taken due to the mate on f7.} 15... Qe8 {Looks like White has to chop Queens on e8 and play Nc3...or maybe not.} 16. Qxh6 {Threatening Qh8 mate.} 16... gxh6 17. Bxh6 {Mate. Black could have played 16...Bf6 then there is no mate. But that is just a technicality.}
I have found this game between the Nakamura brother. Asuka was 15, Hikaru 13.
Asuka Nakamura - Hikaru Nakamura, USA Junior Ch. Tulsa, 2001
Prior to this tournament, which Hikaru won, he was asked about having to play his elder brother
“I will play him like any other player. I have played him a few times in blitz
tournaments and feel fine about it. It is really nothing new. It will be fun though.”
Hikaru won the event a whole point clear from the rest of the field. Sadly Asuka came last.
1. e4 d6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. f4 Nc6 5. Be3 Nf6 6. h3 {To stop Ng4 annoying the e3 Bishop and back up a later g4.} 6... O-O 7. Qd2 e5 8. Nf3 {I'm calling this a pawn sac for attacking chances.} 8... exd4 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Nxe4 {There is the pawn sac (or pawn loss), I'm going with it's a sacrifice.} 11. Nxe4 Re8 12. O-O-O Rxe4 13. Bxg7 Kxg7 14. Bd3 Re8 15. g4 {I like White, I suspect Asuka knew his brother preferred attacking to defending.} 15... Bd7 16. f5 Re5 17. Rdf1 f6 18. h4 {White is definitely going for it.} 18... Qe7 19. fxg6 hxg6 20. h5 g5 21. h6+ Kh8 22. Qf2 Rf8 23. Qxa7 {I did not expect that.} 23... Bxg4 24. Qxb7 {Or that. The open files will give Black counterplay.} 24... Be6 25. Qb4 Qf7 26. a3 {That is a baddie. The next two moves show why.} 26... c5 27. Qd2 {The Queen is forced here because....} 27... c4 28. Be2 {...this was the only square the Bishop could go to. 27.Qd2 protects it.} 28... c3 {And suddenly Black is on the attack.} 29. bxc3 Qa7 30. Qd3 {To give the King some running room but now 30...Rd5 looks good here. 31.Qa6 Qe3+ wins.} 30... Rb8 31. Rxf6 {Now 31...Bc4 32. Qxc4 Qe3+ and it's all over.} 31... Qe3+ {Black missed it and this move is no good, it should have lost.} 32. Qd2 {32. Qxe3 Rxe3 33.Bd3 and White is winning. Looks like time trouble had a hand in this game.} 32... Qxe2 {Black wins a piece, this is resignable.} 33. Qxe2 Rxe2 {The fact they played on hints that time trouble was a factor. They are on auto-pilot.} 34. Rh5 Ba2 35. Kd1 Rg2 36. h7 Rb1 {The younger brother has checkmated the elder brother.}
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 190863 If you wish to enter caption competition then put your entry there.
I have decided to leave the comments off as I have no way other than keep coming
back here to see if any have been made. Any corrections etc just use the above link.
